A lost play in playoff loss to Seattle

[Irving Cowboy]

A lost play in playoff loss to Seattle
September, 13, 2012
By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com

IRVING, Texas -- Lost in the Cowboys’ 21-20 loss to Seattle in the wild-card round of the 2006 playoffs because of Tony Romo’s bobbled snap was a play that could have sealed a Dallas victory without a field goal try.

With 1:19 to play, Jason Witten was ruled to have made a 7-yard catch to the Seattle 1 on third down from Romo that would have given the Cowboys a first down. Seattle was forced to use its final timeout and the Cowboys could have run down the clock or scored an easy touchdown.

Remember, Mike Holmgren was Green Bay’s coach in the Super Bowl against Denver, he purposely (and wisely) let the Broncos score to give the Packers a final chanced, so he probably would have allowed the Cowboys to score a touchdown in that situation, too.

Instead, replay official Dale Hamer called for a review of the spot of Witten’s catch and official Walter Anderson changed Witten’s catch to 6 yards, forcing fourth down. We know the rest of the story.

Was the replay conclusive?

“I thought it was questionable,” Witten said. “I thought the first down was there. That is something you think a lot about when you got six months to hash it up. I just think you automatically assume we’ll be back. We will be better because of it. I think that is the mindset I took from that. Hey, inches matter. Inches matter in this league.”

 

[Midswat]

That play wasn't forgotten by me. I haven't seen the play since then, but at the time I was shocked they overturned it.

But an even worse play, IMO, was that horrible fumble by Terry Glenn that resulted in a Seattle touchdown.

That game was one where we just seemed destined to lose. It felt like we were in control for most of it, but was just determined to
muck up.

Also, even if we made that field goal, I think we lose that game.

We would've given Seattle the ball left with a little over 1 minute left, and 2 time outs. We had a defense known for allowing playing incredibly soft and allowing opponents to get into scoring position late in games. And Seattle had Josh Brown, who won something like 4 games that year on late, long field goals at the end of games.

 

[dbair1967]

Also, even if we made that field goal, I think we lose that game.

Yeah I dont doubt that Zimmer's D would have done what it pretty much always did in those situations, fold like a house of cards.

 

[Midswat]

Yeah I dont doubt that Zimmer's D would have done what it pretty much always did in those situations, fold like a house of cards.

He was the worst in those situations. And I grant you part of it had to do with our poorly coached secondaries.

On another forum 4-5 years ago I outlined all the games over the past 3 years in which we took the lead with around 2-5 minutes left in the game, and our defense allowed the opponents to march right down the field to attempt to win the game. We didn't always lose, but over the three year period, it was 9 games.

That's ridiculous.

 

[bbgun]

[video=youtube;yLxaaMBMD9E]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLxaaMBMD9E&feature=youtu.be[/video]

ah, golden memories

 

[marionbarberthe4th]

Also forgotten: The Seahawks first play after the grammitca miscue was a long run by Shaun Alexander. We ended up getting the ball back there but if we get them to go 3 & out from their own 5 yard line then we get the ball back at atleast midfield with about 25 seconds left

 

[Midswat]

What's hillarious is that... had Gramatica been able to do anything to slow #27, Romo would've gotten the 1st (and maybe scored) and he'd be known as being such a quick thinking clutch guy.

As it happened, he fumbled the snap and is the biggest choker in NFL to where fans always say yeah but Romo will turn into Romo eventually.

 

[ThoughtExperiment]

What's hillarious is that... had Gramatica been able to do anything to slow #27, Romo would've gotten the 1st (and maybe scored) and he'd be known as being such a quick thinking clutch guy.

As it happened, he fumbled the snap and is the biggest choker in NFL to where fans always say yeah but Romo will turn into Romo eventually.

Yep, and we'd have scored a TD, not FG, which pretty much would've sealed the game. Because I agree that even with the FG, there's a fair chance they score on us and win the game anyway.

Hell... Even another foot or so and he gets the first down even without the TD, and from there there's a good chance we score and don't leave them time to come back. The whole thing just was surreal. You almost couldn't script something that messed up.

Gotta say though that after watching it a hundred times, I think they got the Witten call right. Maybe it was iffy to re-spot the ball there, but I do think he was a little short of the marker.

 

[marionbarberthe4th]

He could've grabbed the guy by the facemask and kicked him in the balls and we'd be ok. Lot to ask from a foreigner though ya know.


Or had romo just been tripped up instead of lasso'd he probably gets the 1st.

 

[Midswat]

Gotta say though that after watching it a hundred times, I think they got the Witten call right. Maybe it was iffy to re-spot the ball there, but I do think he was a little short of the marker.

I'd have to see that play over again. When I first saw it I thought it was the definition of not enough evidence to overturn.

 

[Midswat]

Man... never seen a ball shine like that one before either.

 

[superpunk]

I'd have to see that play over again. When I first saw it I thought it was the definition of not enough evidence to overturn.

This.

Given perspective angles, and no clear points of reference since Witten was pretty upright when he was driven back (IIRC) the ref who made that call was out of his element.

 

[UVAwahoos]

Ridiculous. They intentionally used a slick football. It's not even a conspiracy theory, as the rules for those stupidass "K balls" were changed shortly afterward.

Romo has been the fall guy for lots of effed up stuff, but that one takes the cake. The Seattle equipment people won that game.

 

[superpunk]

Ridiculous. They intentionally used a slick football. It's not even a conspiracy theory, as the rules for those stupidass "K balls" were changed shortly afterward.

Romo has been the fall guy for lots of effed up stuff, but that one takes the cake. The Seattle equipment people won that game.

For some reason I'm much angrier about that today with you and mid bringing it up than I was when it happened. I want justice, damnit.

 

[bbgun]

[video=youtube;JdqGh6nU660]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdqGh6nU660&feature=youtu.be[/video]

 

[superpunk]

Isn't there one angle of that return where you can see Bledsoe pouting with his arms crossed?

 

[marionbarberthe4th]

Actually if we couldve gotten the 3 & out it would've left us about 50 seconds from their 45.

 

[ZeroClub]

For some reason I'm much angrier about that today with you and mid bringing it up than I was when it happened. I want justice, damnit.

SP is going Bronson on us.

 

[Everlastingxxx]

The refs made the right call, Witten didn’t make the 1st down. The ball being slick doesn’t matter. You can still catch/hold/fondle it pretty easily. I do think it was pretty stupid to have a starting QB as the holder. Like he didn’t have enough to worry about.

 

[superpunk]

The ball being slick doesn’t matter.

is dis bitch serious?